Over the past ten months (if not longer) presidential candidates have been frequenting Iowa. During this period of time the level of excitement has been somewhat like a roller coaster – the candidates come and go, they are up and down in the polls, etc. It looks like that roller coaster has now hit a very long hill – seven nights from tonight that coaster will finally hit its peak.
All along the way hundreds of Divided We Fail volunteers (known as Champions for Change) and team members across Iowa have been out in their red t-shirts questioning the candidates on health care and financial security issues. Today has been no different.
Virtually every candidate running for president is in the state today. They are spread out to hit the different media markets and to make last stops in their favorite Iowa towns. Many of their schedules include four or five campaign events – which for most might seem totally crazy! But with seven days to go they are really trying to maximize their time and persuade the famously-undecided Iowa caucus goers.
Events today were dominated by the news of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Despite this news, Senator John McCain gave the Divided We Fail “Champions for Change” a shout-out in front of a crowd of 300+ at a town hall event in Urbandale. Senator McCain also addressed a health care question from the audience – emphasizing that preserving the quality of health care in America is paramount.
During a stop on Fred Thompson’s bus tour (literally across the street from the McCain event), the former Senator was also quick to address problems in Pakistan, but he didn’t just talk about foreign policy issues, he also mentioned a top priority of his, if elected, would be to save Social Security.
“Champions for Change” were also at an event featuring Senator Barack Obama in Des Moines. Before an estimated crowd of 400+ Obama said that the health care system was broken and he was the man to fix it. He shared an example of a woman he met in Cedar Rapids who has to work multiple jobs to pay for health insurance.
I hope to post as much as possible over the next seven days. Please continue to check back for the latest info on what is happening on the ground in Iowa.